


'Till Death Do Us Part

by HailleFaith



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alcohol as a Coping Mechanism, Cancer, Death, Depression, F/M, Fluff, Human!Castiel - Freeform, M/M, Sickness, Swearing, a lot of swearing sorry, major character death!!!, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-19
Updated: 2014-05-19
Packaged: 2018-01-25 18:01:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,543
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1657400
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HailleFaith/pseuds/HailleFaith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel is sick. Very sick.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Castiel is sick. Very sick.  
  
  
  
"The MRI showed us a very clear scan, Mr. WInchester. Your partner has multiple lymphomas scattered in his Frontal and Temporal lobes." The doctor _(Jones? James?)_ said, feigning sympathy.  
"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Dean said, panic tainting the edges of his words. Castiel couldn't be sick. Castiel was _fine._  
  
  
  
He was always fine.  
  
  
  
"We counted 5 stage-III lymphomas in your partner's brain, Mr. Winchester.".  
"Can't you remove them?" Dean's voice was very obviously panicked now, the fear pooling in his his gut spreading like wildfire to the rest of his body.  
"The lymphomas are very small and buried extremely deep in your partner's brain. It would be fatal to Mr. Winchester to attempt to remove them." The Doctor explained. He waited a moment, seeing the fear in Dean's eyes, and added, "Castiel does not have a lot of time left. The tumors are going to grow, further pressing on his Frontal and Temporal Lobes. This will cause seizures at the very best, blindness at the very worst. I would not be surprised if both of those were to occur. Attempting to remove Mr. Winchester's tumors would only shorten the time you two have left together. I suggest you treasure the days you still have."  
Dean, nauseated and dizzy with grief, leaned against a wall behind him, back facing the Doctor. His breathing was labored and thick, tears searing at his eyes. "Is there anything we can do?" he whispered.  
"Once a diagnosis is confirmed, as Castiel's has been, steroids can be used to control brain swelling. This may result in the immediate disappearance of the tumor on a later scan, but I wouldn't get your hopes up. Chemotherapy or radiation may later be used as your partner's primary treatment." said the Doctor.  
"What are his chances of survival?"  
There was a long, strained silence. Dean swallowed. His chest was red hot and his breathing was impaired. "The average 5-year survival rate is 53%. The average 10-year survival rate is 36%."   
Dean held back a sob, the walls of this throat clutching at one another. He nearly swallowed his tongue trying to breathe. ' _36%?_ That's nothing! That's not even a 2/5 chance of survival.' He thought to himself, statistics and scenarios of Castiel dying ( _and not dying_ ) swimming in his head.  
Another long silence ensued, and the Doctor finally spoke, "Im sorry, Mr. Winchester." Dean was sure the footsteps of the Doctor walking away could be heard reverberating throughout the entire hospital. 

**x**

Dean, eyes red and swollen, returned to Castiel's hospital room, sliding the glass door closed following his entry. He was sure to be quiet, as not to wake up his lightly snoring husband.  
Sam and Jess were already in Castiel's room, sitting quietly on a beige couch against the wall opposite from Castiel's bed.  
Sam stood as Dean entered, walking briskly to meet his brother near the door. "What did the Doctor say?" he inquired.  
"Cas has 5 stage-III lymphomas. Outlook ain't good. He said not to get our hopes up." Dean's voice cracked on his last few words and he turned away from Sam, ugly, wet tears forming in his eyes.  
Sam's long, muscular arms folded around Dean, gripping him tightly as smaller man's body racked with silent sobs. Jess, concerned and crying, walked silently over and wrapped her arms around the two brothers as well. The three of them stood silently for what seemed like an eternity until a soft, broken voice from the hospital bed interrupted the silence.  
"Dean?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cas is in the hospital. Some fluffy stuff. A lot of angst and sadness and yeah sorry

After Castiel had woken up _(and Dean had reported what the Doctor had said)_ , Castiel was on his way to the scanning room for a second MRI scan. Dean stood impatiently on the Doctor's side of the one-way glass window, watching his husband slide slowly into the magnetic tube. Dean was very obviously scared; he wrung his hands and tapped his right foot incessantly until being told to stop by Castiel's doctor.  
Time passed slowly as Castiel moved in and out of the scanner. The full-body scan took upwards of an hour and Dean was not happy about being separated for that long from his partner.  
"Mr. Winchester?" The doctor's voice brought Dean back to reality. He'd been zoning out. "Mr. Winchester?" he repeated.  
"What? Oh. Yeah?" Dean shook the absentmindedness from his head and stood up, facing the doctor.  
"Castiel's scan is done. He's being brought back to his room now. I will be there in a moment to tell you what the scan showed."  
"Why can't you just tell me now? Is he worse? Is he better? Just tell me now, doc-"  
"Mr. Winchester."  
"Fine." Dean muttered, walking out of the small monitor room and into the opposite end of the hallway where Castiel was roomed. Making his way back to his husband, Dean looked casually into some of the rooms he passed by. In one was a rather aged man. Alone and asleep, his was face blotched with inky purple splotches. Hooked into his arms were numerous IV machines, each dripping a different liquid into the man. His arms were crossed in the position that one would be laid in a coffin. ' _Coma?_ ' Dean thought to himself.  
In the next room was a woman, also asleep, Her face was swollen and red. At her beside was her (assumed) husband and daughter - _Damn,_ Dean thought, _she can't be more than 30 years old._ In the final room Dean passed before entering Castiel's was a brunet man who seemed to be in his late 30s. His hairline was receding and he had a rather mischievous smirk on his face. Dean smiled a bit at this; it was nice to see an optimist in the sea of pessimists that Dean felt like he was drowning in.  
When Dean walked into Castiel's room, theDoctor was already there. "So?" Dean inquired, reaching for Castiel's hand as he walked towards his bed.  
"It seems we've made a mistake." The Doctor began. "I originally told you that Castiel has 5 tumors. Today's MRI showed a sixth."  
Dean's face went white. "A mistake?" he breathed. "That's not a mistake, that count be the difference between life and death!" his voice was rising, fear and shock tainting the edges like poison.  
"Mr. Winchester, I assure you that we will provide the best care for Cast-"  
"I don't care what you _say_ you'll provide! Fix my husband!" Dean was yelling at this point, face white, voice wavering.  
  
  
They had a long few months ahead of them. 

 

 

**x**

 

 

"We'll start him on R-CHOP to reduce the swelling in his brain." Doctor James said quietly to Dean _(Sam had asked for his name after days of not knowing. Sam doesn't like to not know.)_.  
"What the hell is an R-CHOP?" Dean muttered, completely confused. _All these damn medical terms make me feel stupid._ he thought to himself. _Hell, not even Sammy understands half the crap these quacks say to us._  
"An R-CHOP is a regimen of 5 steroids and medicines used to treat Non-Hodgkins Lymphomas, as Mr. Winchester has. CHOP consists of Cyclophosphamide, Doxorubicin Hydrochloride, Vincristine Sulfate, and Prednisone. We will be adding Rituximab to further treat your partner's lymphomas. Rituximab is a type of biological therapy called a monoclonal antibody. Monoclonal antibodies target proteins on the surface of cells. Rituximab targets a protein known as CD20. CD20 is found on white blood cells called B cells. It is the B cells that are cancerous in the most common type of non Hodgkin lymphoma. Rituximab attaches itself to the B cells and marks them. The cells of the immune system recognise the marked cells and kill them. As well as this regimen, I highly insist on Mr. Winchester being admitted into a chemotherapy center. I know of one that is fairly close to your home and will provide a peaceful environment for your partner."  
Dean nodded slightly, fear and worry racking his mind. "Will this R-CHOP thing have any side effects?"  
"There will be an increased risk of getting an infection from a drop in white blood cells – it is harder to fight infections and Mr. Winchester could become very ill. He may have headaches, aching muscles, cough, sore throat, pain passing urine or feel cold and shivery. Tiredness and breathlessness due to a drop in red blood cells. This could result in a blood transfusion. Bruising more easily due to a drop in platelets could present itself as well – your partner may have nosebleeds, bleeding gums after brushing his teeth, or lots of tiny red spots or bruises on his arms or legs. I do not believe any of these will present themselves. More common side effects include fatigue, hair loss, loss of fertility, mouth sores, and appetite and skin changes. Again, I do not believe any of these symptoms will occur, but there is always a chance that they will. I want you and your partner to be confident in the fact that I take the upmost care in prescribing medicines that will not harm my patients."  
Dean sighed upon hearing this. "Thanks, Doc." he said, stressed and anxious, as he walked back towards Castiel's room, hands rubbing at the back of his neck with poorly-concealed worry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I WILL BE ADDING MORE TO THIS CHAPTER  
> I WILL BE ADDING MORE TO THIS CHAPTER  
> I WILL BE ADDING MORE TO THIS CHAPTER  
> I WILL BE ADDING MORE TO THIS CHAPTER
> 
>  
> 
> \- Adding a chapter for every 5 kudos
> 
> \- Comments are EXTREMELY appreciated. I actually really need them in order to have any motivation at all so
> 
> \- Please suggest stuff! I have a basic storyline laid out but I'm very open to suggestions
> 
> \- Fanart's rad too

**Author's Note:**

> \- Adding a chapter for every 5 kudos
> 
> \- Comments are VERY appreciated. I actually really need them in order to have any motivation at all so
> 
> \- Please suggest stuff! I have a basic storyline laid out but I'm very open to suggestions
> 
> \- Fanart's rad too


End file.
